It's thanksgiving and it's time to be thankful for everything we have.  Yes I am frustrated with my parents.  I'm frustrated on so many levels but I decided I have to let it go. I can't stop them from going out. I can't stop them from getting on a plane and going back and forth between islands of hawaii. I can't stop them from riding the bus.  I can only say it is what it is and hope we make it out alive. I mean it makes me angry for my mom to say things like we'll "we're 90 and 69 year olds.  We've lived a good life so if we are meant to die, we die."  That's not the most positive thing I want to hear or think about but it's not worth arguing.  Nor is it worth arguing about fake news.  

I decided that I am pissed over my mom joining what I feel is a cult.  That I'm perfectly fine with legitimate values different from myself.  But watching fox news and spewing things that are completely fake news drives me crazy.  I have a lot of friends who are "republicans" and don't watch fox news and can tell me the values they have.  My mom - republican values of personal responsibility and the government doesn't get to tell me what to do.  And of course the fake news of everything else.  If she doesn't like it she pretends it's not real.  Sigh.  Again I have to "let it go."  Sometimes you can't argue with crazy.  For awhile there my mom told me that she heard covid wasn't real.  Yeah I know.  I don't know when this whole fake news will even if ever.

But I decided I need to bite my tongue and be thankful that they are healthy, we are healthy, and we stay that way.  I had a mammogram last week my first.  I was called on monday that I needed to come in for further testing. I had another mammogram and ultrasound on tuesday and luckily it's a benign cysts. I'm grateful they could fit me in the next day.  I'm glad I'm healthy. I can definitely feel the lump they are talking about and I had been panicking.  So it put into perspective. I can stay mad at my parents and think they are ridiculous.  Or I can say it is what it is.  At least they are healthy.  At least my family is healthy.

And I'm thankful that we've made it through this year and i hope to get older each and every year.  It certainly makes you appreciate everything you have.  But it also makes you appreciate how slow life has gotten with covid.  It makes you appreciate the idea that there is life outside of work.  I know the worry of the lump made my DH realize he has to slow down and stop pedal to the metal. I don't believe he works so hard because of $$.   The money he makes is a effect of him loving what he does.  But he works that hard because I think he likes the accolades and accomplishment.  That is a post for another day.

But face with our mortality?  Faced with the idea of us not being perfect?  It's hard.  It is real.  But I'm still thankful for everything I have.  Now we have to make it through thanksgiving.  DH's brother is visiting us and I'm nervous.  I'm also flying to hawaii for Christmas and nervous.  We'll see how that all goes.

Covid has definitely changed my habits.  We will not be going back to eating out all the time both take out and out once this is all over. I can definitely see myself not going back to quick prep meals either.   As the months drag on I will not say that I am in love with cooking but my skills have greatly improved. I have found many recipes now and I'm doing things my family enjoys.

I was never a terrible cook nor did I not cook.  But I was very limited in my cooking and I cooked the same thing over and over.  So my family I think liked take out because it gave them more variety than I would cook.  But now I feel like my I can make a lot of different foods at a much higher quality than before.  Entire meals are from scratch.

I've started to make yogurt from scratch and the kiddos prefer it. I use it as a base for smoothies/lassi and lots of cooking.  This week I made chicken coconut curry, chicken biriyani, and pork tenderloin.  This weekend I'm making pork belly and korean bbq short ribs.  I can tell my family is loving it. My kids still love the older recipes but it's a big deal that I don't feel so boring.

Also we're more likely to just enjoy staying home.  We've been really working on making our home more comfortable.  We're reorganizing the kitchen, bathrooms, closets, garage, and building a new shed.  

Actually this photo is probably a week old and DH is finishing the interior insulation right now and he will hang drywall this weekend.  I am guessing by the end of the year he will be done.  He started first week in august while working full time and he did everything.  Right now I'm guessing we are running around $15k but it's a large office with electric which was $3000 for electric alone.   So we really have been spending a lot of time just investing in our house.

Because of DH's job change we plan on staying in our place for another 3 years until spring 2023 at minimum.  Hopefully the job will work out and we can afford to move.  But if not then everything we are doing is making our house more comfortable and workable for us. 

Have you changed during covid?  Do you see any habit sticking?